The University of Maine and partners including Iberdrola SA (IBE) and Xinjiang Goldwind Science & Technology Co. plan to launch the first U.S. offshore wind turbine today in a pilot project that will help design a $96 million, 12-megawatt floating power system.

The 65-foot (20 meter) tower and blades will be towed to a site off the coast of Castine, about 35 miles south of Bangor, Maine, and is expected to be connected to the Central Maine Power Co. grid on June 2, Elizabeth Viselli, a university spokeswoman, said today in an interview. The VolturnUS system has 20 kilowatts of capacity and is one-eighth the scale of turbines that are expected to be deployed in 2016, she said.

VolturnUS is one of two floating offshore wind projects that Maine is planning with funding from the Energy Department to supply as much as 24 megawatts of capacity in 2016. Their goal is to reduce the cost of offshore wind to 10 cents per kilowatt-hour by 2020.

Statoil ASA (STL), Norway’s state-controlled oil company, in January received approval from the Maine Public Utilities Commission to build a $120 million offshore wind farm. The deepwater demonstration facility in the Gulf of Maine will use four, 3-megawatt floating turbines.

GOAL: Electrical energy self sufficiency (independence) for Humboldt County using a renewable source within five years.

MEANS: A wind turbine farm placed in a ten mile square at sea twenty miles offshore on floating barge platforms with the electricity collected onshore in one or more stations.. On 500′ centers this will comprise +/- 11,100 turbines.

ECONOMIC NOTES: Turbines and barges to be assembled locally in Humboldt County. This project should result in 500 or more local good paying jobs for welders, assemblers and mariners. If production starts in one year, we need to produce 10 barges per day to complete the project in 5 years.

ENGINEERING NOTES: Barges should be plug and play, towed out to sea for production and towed to port for maintenance. Barges, power transmission and anchors should be engineered to survive a 10,000 year tsunami.

ENVIRONMENTAL NOTES: Possible effect on seabirds. Possible effect on fish and marine mammals. Wind power production at this scale may alter global wind patterns. Possible conflict with marine shipping routes and fishing zones.

BENEFITS: Bountiful electric supply for Humboldt produced locally with a small carbon load, a boost to the local economy through cheaper power and good jobs, and a power plant that is very secure against disaster or attack. Humboldt County will be a world pioneer in wind power energy production.

It’s Time for Eureka to Pay Reparations to Indigenous Peoples

The Eureka City Council has just shamed itself with a retraction of a mild apology to the Wiyot People for the Indian Island Massacre.

We will deal with these racist cowards at the ballot box in November.

In the meantime, it is time for the people of Eureka to bring forth an initiative to pay the Wiyot People reparations for the crimes that have been committed against them and in partial recompense for lands that have been stolen from them.

I propose as a starting point for talks the sum of one million dollars per year to be paid directly to the local Native Peoples.

Let’s get together soon and draft a simple initiative to do this and gather our signatures. It is the right thing to do.

I know Linda Atkins personally and she is no racist so I assume she was buffaloed by some Hobson’s choice presented on short notice. But she can speak to that.

The Fair Wage Folks invite you to bring family and friends for fabulous live music all day, games for kids, coffee, tea, juice, lunch and snacks. Everything is Free!

Music from Sarah Torres, Mad River Rounders, Bill Holmes, and Papa Paul. Comedy from Nando Molina. Amazing poetry. Words from Board of Supes Candidate, Chris Kerrigan, and local Union Member of the Year, Bill Burns.

Come for a short time or all day. Relax. Enjoy. Get active to raise the minimum wage. Help build strong community!

You or your organization are welcome to set up informational tables.Tables provided.

Kerrigan confirmed today that he has filed paperwork that allows him to raise money for a race against 4th District Supervisor Virginia Bass. He has also cited his intention to run against Eureka Mayor Frank Jager.

”I am considering running for supes,” Kerrigan said. “At this time, I’m not ready to make a final decision on that.”

According to the Humboldt County Elections Office, Kerrigan has filed a candidate intention statement. He has not declared his candidacy or paid the filing fee. The deadline is March 7. Bass has formally announced she is running for reelection.

County Registrar of Voters Carolyn Crnich said Kerrigan could potentially run for both races because they are on two different ballots.

”The mayor’s race isn’t until November,” Crnich said. “The primary supervisors’ race will be on the June ballot. If he was to run for supervisor and not win, he could run for mayor of Eureka.”